


We Need To Talk

by TheatricalAssassin



Category: Max Steel (TV 2013)
Genre: Apologies, Boundaries, Consent, Gen, Heart-to-Heart, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, One Shot, Other, Self-Indulgent, Wordcount: 100-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 01:35:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10843755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheatricalAssassin/pseuds/TheatricalAssassin
Summary: For a team like this to work there has to be open and honest communication. Just because one has the ability to do something doesn't mean they should do it, and not without good reason. Lines might have been drawn, but they've definitely been crossed, and crossing one you weren't aware was there doesn't make it any less painful for the other.





	We Need To Talk

**Author's Note:**

> Still taking liberties with how Steel experiences various senses that isn't sight and sound. Current running theory is that he isn't experiencing his own but Max's, so when Max smells something so does Steel and so on for all the other senses. He feels his own pain and what not in his own way, but running under this logic he would definitely have some kind of protocol that lets him be aware of Max's health and stuff, nothing too in-depth, just what wouldn't require a scan or something. esp since Ultralinks are designed to completely overtake their hosts and not do a symbiotic relationship.
> 
> Really short fic but, it's cathartic for me and stuff.

After a long day of school and patrolling, there’s little that’s more enjoyable than watching TV and eating food that isn’t so much good for you but really filling and tastes good. Not that Steel would call what Max has created “food” but whatever, it by some magic that he holds within he’s turned an inedible package of maruchan ramen into something that’s truly wonderful. One of the few things Steel appreciated about the link was that he got to experience food, it always left him looking forward to the next time they sat down to have a meal, whereas Steel just pops onto Max’s chest and is good for another eight hours. Normally they weren’t picky as to what was to be eaten, especially Steel, but tonight there was a feeling. Something was off but he wasn’t quite sure what. Max came into the bedroom and sat down on his bed not looking at the ultralink. He picked at his food a bit silently before taking a bite. Steel could tell that something was up but, he didn’t know what. 

“Hey Steel?” he said his voice barely above a whisper “Can I talk to you about something?” 

“Uh, sure?” Steel responded confused “What’s on your mind?”

Max didn’t respond for a moment, continuing to stare at his food, stirring it slightly. 

“I just wanted to ask if you could...” he paused, trying to find the words “I wanted to ask if you could... not take control of my body just whenever.” Steel froze for a moment and was about to say something before Max continued. “It’s just that, it doesn’t feel like you care about me when you do that. It’s one thing to do it in the heat of battle but, you’ve forced me to do stuff that I didn’t want to do.” 

It slowly began to dawn upon Steel what he’d done. With the way he’s been acting, what’s there to set him apart from any other ultralink? No wonder N-Tek is cagey about everything... they still think that he’d betray them at the drop of a hat. If he could hurt his best friend, without realizing it, without stopping for a moment to think about what he’s doing, it’s no wonder why they’d been experiencing friction. There wasn’t room for them to talk, really talk. 

“Max... I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” He started “Is there, is there anything else I can do to make you more comfortable? Or to make it up to you?” 

Max slowly ate his food, his expression softened upon hearing Steel’s words. His shoulders relaxed and he looked up at Steel, not with a smile, but not the somber expression he had before

“I’d, like for you to actually tell me what’s going on when you want to take over. I don’t mind riding backseat but, I want to know why it’s happening you know? Not after when it’s already happening.” He said 

“I will definitely do that” Steel smiled in his own way, trying to comfort his friend. “I’m sorry that I didn’t before. It won’t happen again.” 

Steel reached out to put his arm on Max’s shoulder in confidence. Trust is hard won and easily lost, he knew that there was little he could do right now to prove to Max that he meant what he said. It would take time for Max to build up his trust in him, and it was up to Steel to allow him to take as much time as he needed for it. 

**Author's Note:**

> Something that REALLY bothered me was how Max never really put his foot down on Steel taking the wheel so to speak. I mean it didn't happen often? But it still happened, I can only remember a few times when Max was ok with what was happening and even then he was never 100% okay with what was happening. And Steel never thought about how doing this might be wrong or be violating trust that he has with Max (read: it's still his body, thereby he gets majority say in what happens to it) 
> 
> Basically? Max was never able to give Steel informed consent about him just taking control of his body, Steel for all his complaining about N-Tek keeping things from him and treating him unfairly, never thought to give Max the same courtesy that Steel wants. 
> 
> There's room for a talk about boundaries and consent and I honestly think if you're going to show a thing like Max and Steel's link you gotta make that an episode, where they set their boundaries very clearly. Esp since there's _multiple_ other times when Steel crosses them just to fuck with Max like the toothbrush incident for a mild one and the whole Superhero Mode for a more extreme one, Max was _very_ vocal about his dislike of this mode until late in the series. tbh that was one of the hardest episodes to watch, which really sucks because this was also one of the few episodes where a character moment happened. It was played off for laughs a lot of the time it happened and it made me very uncomfortable every time it did. 
> 
> Basically: talking about boundaries is super important


End file.
